Alfýkin: The Last of the Elves

One Question

The timber structure of the inn vibrated violently, a sensation Illeandir could feel through his feet and up into the back of his skull. The child whimpered pitieously in his arms and clung to his neck. The fire was all around them, drawing ever closer. Illeandir looked wildly about, searching for an escape route. The building would collapse at any moment. He saw the window, the only area not blocked by fire, on the opposite side of the building where the villagers stood and watched the inn burn. He hesitated, a three story drop was a long way down even for an elf. If he didn't land right he could end up hurting himself, killing the little girl, or both. He took a deep breath, coughed once, and sprinted through the open window just as the building collapsed in on itself. Screams penetrated through the chaos.

Illeandir plummeted through the air feet first with the child held tightly to his chest. He hit the ground hard and rolled several times to soften the impact. His ankle twisted painfully and on the last roll the arrow in his shoulder snagged on the grass and ripped free. Illeandir gasped in agony and dropped the child and clutched his arm, which was now bleeding profusely. Ignoring the wound for now, he cradled the girl in his arms and looked closely at her.

She had a small round face that would have been pretty if it weren't for the large burn covering the right side of her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut and tears fell down her cheeks. Her breath came in short ragged gasps and her skin was hot to the touch. Illeandir gently touched the burn with two fingers.

"Tanka harwar." he spoke softly. A small amount of energy drained from him and his hand turned red with heat and he drew the heat from her burn. The child sighed and fell into a deep sleep. Her face was still blistered and burned, she would be with the scar forever but she would live.

On the other side of the collapsed inn the villagers stood in silence. The only sound was the child's mother sobbing. One by one they slowly surrounded the grieving woman and laid a hand on her shoulders. One man stumbled upon a massive bow and sword. He knelt down to admire the quality of the longbow and the strength needed to draw it. He was just about to pick it up when an immensely tall figure strode out from the swirling ash and smoke. A small child hung limp in his arms. The crowd parted before the masked figure like water as he walked toward the weeping woman. She looked up and immediately recognized her little girl.

"Everild!" she shouted and ran toward her daughter, arms outstretched. "My baby, my poor baby," she moaned holding Everild tightly to her chest, tears streaked her ashy cheeks. She faced Illeandir with wide, soft brown eyes. "Thank you, stranger, for saving my daughter." Illeandir held a fist over his heart and bowed slightly. The woman squinted at him, trying to see past the mask he wore over the lower half of his face and the dark brown hood that cast the rest in shadow. Dark green eyes gazed steadily back at her. She cast her eyes down and saw his shoulder, wet with blood.

"You're hurt!" she exclaimed reaching out to touch it. Illeandir shied away from her hand. She snatched her hand back, eyes wide with confusion.

"Owen!" she shouted and the man with the sword came running. He brandished the rusty blade before Illeandir, who didn't move a muscle. Underneath his mask the corners of his mouth twisted in a grim smile. "Put that down! This man saved our daughter. Show some respect!"

"Sorry, Matilda." Owen lowered his sword but still held it tightly. "Thank you, sir, for saving Everild. We owe you a great debt."

"We owe him our lives!" an older man shouted. "Did no one see him fighting the orcs that sought to kill us?" He pushed his way through the crowd holding Illeandir's bow and sword with great difficulty for they were far bigger than any weapon he had ever held in his long life, though they were surprisingly light. "If not for the valor of this one man our homes may not only have been laid to waste but we too would be among the dead."